Actor Matt Long is officially returning for Manifest season 4. Long has played the fan-favorite character Zeke Landon since Manifest season 1, which started as a recurring role. Long's character became part of the main cast in season 2 of the series. Zeke is a described as a hiker who is trapped in a cave during a blizzard and is presumed dead, only to return one year later, similarly to the passengers of fateful Flight 828. Zeke becomes the first person to beat his death day by saving Cal Stone's life, who was one of the passengers aboard the missing flight.
Fans feared that Long would not be able to return for Manifest season 4 due to scheduling conflicts. Long was originally cast in NBC's pilot series, Getaway, long before Netflix struck a deal to deliver the final season of Manifest. Fortunately for fans, NBC ultimately passed on Getaway, which left Long's schedule wide open. While Long himself had suggested he would be returning to the show in some capacity, saying "I will be back for some of it," back in September at the Creative Arts Emmys, it wasn't entirely clear his level of involvement in the next installment. Now, it seems the actor will indeed be returning full time.
TVLine reports that Manifest season 4 creator, Jeff Rake, has confirmed that Long will be returning for the show's final season. Rake comments that he is "delighted to report" that Long is coming back to the show. Going further, the creator even says that Long's return will allow "Zeke to complete his Manifest journey as originally intended."
Rake's indication that Zeke's ending will play out as "originally intended" is a reference to the fact that the show's original plan included six total seasons. While Netflix did revive the show after NBC cancelled it back in June of this year, the streaming service only extended Manifest for season 4, which will consist of 20 episodes in total. Therefore, the show's creators had to condense the six-season plan into the 20 given episodes. However, Rake commented earlier this year that "the endgame won't change at all." The creator was even prepared to finish the series in a "two-hour movie" if needed.
Given the fact that Long quickly became a fan-favorite character in the series, it only makes sense to include him in the final season. Additionally, as Rake has commented, Zeke and the rest of the cast need to complete their planned out journey that has been building since season 1, or risk disappointing loyal fans. Although no official Manifest season 4 release date has been announced, audiences can look forward to seeing how Long's journey will pan out once the much-missed Manifest finally returns to screens.
Source: TVLine